The Ultimate List of Eric Carle Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers

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We absolutely love Eric Carle, renowned and beloved children’s author and illustrator.

Most children are familiar with The Very Hungry Caterpillar and that was Squeaker’s first introduction into this imaginative, colorful, and playful world. We have done one mini-unit so far on this book and I have plans to do mini-units on other books in the future.

Perhaps when we plan for PreK or Kindergarten, we’ll devote a unit to Eric Carle again. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is not too far from us either, so we’ll definitely have to plan a visit there.

The books that he’s written and/or illustrated are the perfect foundation for a well rounded unit or to use within other units. And with over 70 to choose from, there’s a lot that you can do with these children’s books.

Don’t just limit yourself to the younger ages, either.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Book Series

We’ll start with The Very Hungry Caterpillar (and other books in the Very series though the most well known is probably the caterpillar) — these books became the foundation for our Home Preschool and we have two shelves full of Eric Carle books for preschoolers. 

From starting to read on her own to having me read to her, these books are a wonderful addition to any home library.

The books in this series could very well be used as a unit all on their own. And you can also incorporate:

Art projects, vocabulary, social skills, counting, and science. You can also try out this Very Hungry Caterpillar Story Sack or Felt Board. We also used our own mini Very Hungry Caterpillar printable set.

• • • The Very Hungry Caterpillar
    • The Very Hungry Caterpillar ABC
    • The Very Hungry Caterpillar Christmas 123
    • Love from The Very Hungry Caterpillar
    • Happy Birthday from The Very Hungry Caterpillar
    • I Love Dad with The Very Hungry Caterpillar
    • Thanks From the Very Hungry Caterpillar
    • Calm with The Very Hungry Caterpillar
    • The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s Easter Colors
    • The Very Busy Spider
    • The Very Quiet Cricket
    • The Very Lonely Firefly
    • The Very Clumsy Click Beetle

    And of course, we can’t forget about the collaboration that Eric Carle did with Bill Martin

    • Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
    • Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?
    • Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?
    • Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?

    Best Eric Carle Books for Toddlers

    Did you know that Eric Carle also wrote a series of “My Very First” books? We’re going to use these over the course of the summer and upcoming home preschool year with Squeaker.

    • My Very First Book of Colors
    • My Very First Book of Shapes
    • My Very First Book of Numbers
    • My Very First Book of Food
    • My Very First Book of Words
    • My Very First Book of Animal Sounds
    • My Very First Book of Animal Homes
    • My Very First Book of Motion

    There’s also a special series of books on basic concepts

    • Eric Carle’s ABC
    • Eric Carle’s 123
    • Eric Carle’s All Around Us
    • Eric Carle’s Opposites
    • Eric Carle’s How Things Grow
    • Eric Carle’s Book of Many Things

    More Eric Carle Books for Preschoolers

    And beyond the series of books, Eric Carle has a book on almost every topic or concept that you could think of that are perfect for every day reading or teaching. I will have printable packs later on for several of these including From Head to Toe, The Tiny Seed, The Grouchy Ladybug, 10 Little Rubber Ducks, Little Cloud, and Have You Seen My Cat?

    • From Head to Toe
    • The Tiny Seed
    • The Nonsense Show
    • Dream Snow
    • The Grouchy Ladybug
    • The Mixed Up Chameleon
    • Mister Seahorse
    • Pancakes, Pancakes
    • 10 Little Rubber Ducks
    • Today is Monday
    • Do You Want to Be My Friend?
    • Slowly, Slowly, Slowly, said the Sloth
    • Animals, Animals
    • Little Cloud
    • 1, 2, 3, to the Zoo
    • Draw Me a Star
    • Have You Seen My Cat?
    • Friends
    • The Secret Birthday Message
    • Hello, Red Fox
    • Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother Too?
    • The Foolish Tortoise
    • Rooster’s Off to See the World
    • The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse
    • A House for Hermit Crab

    You know what else would be fun? To make one of these neat corner bookmarks to go along with the book that you’re reading. Even if you don’t use them to hold your place in the book, they could be fun to use as a puppet of some sort.

    If your children aren’t attached the jacket covers, you can also make puzzles out of them.

    

    If you think about it, you could use this list of books to create an entire unit to use in your home preschool program. Whether it takes you through the year or focuses on just a few months; each book or book series could be used to cover multiple concepts.

    For us, however, we also just love to read.

    What’s your favorite Eric Carle book?

    

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Kori

Digital Product Creator at Kori at Home

Hey there! I'm Kori, a neurodivergent mom and certified Life Coach, here to empower moms raising neurodiverse families. Diagnosed with ADHD and Autism at 37, I've turned my passion for neuronerdery into practical parenting tools. With a stack of coaching certifications and a love for 80s pop culture, Marvel movies, and all things brainy, I'm here to help you and your family thrive in this neurotypical world.

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